An Exercise in Re-imagining Two Landmark Documents

Rev. Dr. John Crossin and Rabbi Dr. David Fox Sandmel

Nearly fifty years ago, the Second Vatican Council issued the groundbreaking declaration, “Nostra Aetate, the Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Relations,” which rejected a long history of hostility toward Jews and made possible a new relationship. Nearly fifteen years ago, Jewish scholars published a historic text: “Dabru Emet: A Jewish Statement on Christians and Christianity.” It sought to explain to Jewish readers the changes underway in Christian-Jewish relations because of documents such as Nostra Aetate. Join us as two interfaith leaders consider the respective Catholic and Jewish documents and re-imagine what would be different about them if they were updated in the light of developments that have occurred since their original publications.

Rev. John W. Crossin, Ph.D. is executive director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). A member of the Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, he holds a Ph.D. in moral theology and master’s degrees in psychology and theology from The Catholic University of America. He has served as president of the North American Academy of Ecumenists.

Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, Ph.D. is Director of Interfaith Affairs for the Anti-Defamation League. He earned his doctorate in Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on the History and Literature of Judaism and Christianity in the Greco-Roman World. He received his Rabbinic Ordination and Masters in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati.